Her Restless Heart: Stitches in Time Book 1 [Kindle Edition]

Barbara Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. When Daniel, an Amish man living in Florida, arrives and shares her restlessness, Mary Katherine feels drawn to him and curious about the life he leads away from Lancaster County. But her longtime friend Jacob has been in love with her for years. He’s discouraged that she’s never viewed him as anything but a friend and despairs that he is about to lose Mary Katherine to this outsider. Will the conflicted Mary Katherine be lost to the Englisch world, or to Daniel, who might take her away to Florida? Or will she embrace her Amish faith and recognize Jacob as the man she should marry and build a life with?

"You'll laugh and cry right alongside the characters in this story that tests a young woman's faith in Gods's plan for her life." - Loree Lough, best-selling author of more than 80 award-winning books, including From Ashes to Honor, #1 in the First Responders series.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Cameron is the author of more than 35 fiction and non-fiction books, three nationally televised movies, and is the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. She currently resides in Edgewater, Florida. Find out more about Barbara at BarbaraCameron.com, AmishHearts.com, and AmishLiving.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 694 KB
• Print Length: 306 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1426714270
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (April 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007MCWJRG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,916 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved It! April 26, 2012

By Maureen

Format:Paperback

Mary Katherine has grown up with a very strict Father, and a Mother who never stood up for herself.
She is now living with her Grandmother, and loving being there, and working in the shop with her cousins.
Mary Katherine is weaving what she wants to sell, and is in conflict with the Bishop. He wants her to stop making such English goods, and to join the Church.
Because of her upbringing she has a lot of doubts, and wonders about the English world. She has a long time friendship with Jacob, and Daniel, and her English friend Jamie.
Love the interaction between Leah, the Grandmother and the cousins, Mary Katherine, Naomi, and Anna. You will wonder if this will be enough to hold her here, or will she go to Florida with Daniel?
You will enjoy having Tea with these great people, and interacting with Jacob. A really good read, and can't wait for the next book in this series.

I was provided with a copy of this book Abingdon Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This new series provides healing in the stories it shares! April 22, 2012

By Pirate2240

Format:Paperback

Sometimes the words we speak can hurt people worse than any physical pain we can inflict on them. That's just what is happening to Mary Katherine. Finding solace and a place to heal her emotions and her heart and find the love she needs from family, she works for her Grandmother Leah at her store, Stitches in Time, along with her cousins Naomi and Anna. Her father is more than just mean and abrasive to her, he's also been that way to her mother. No longer able to tolerate his unkind words, and avoiding speaking out against her father, she leaves. She's the only child of her parents and finds it difficult that her father can treat her so cruel.

Perhaps that's why Mary Katherine has been avoiding falling in love with those Amish boys who seem to gather around her, most recently Jacob, a young man she grew up with and went to school with. However, Mary Katherine can only see him as the friend she grew up with even though it's obvious to everyone else that Jacob has more than friendly feelings for her. Yet with Mary Katherine still undecided on whether she wants to commit to the church just yet, she spends some time getting to know what she really wants out of life.

Her best friend is an English girl named Jamie, whose outrageous hair and clothing styles, have most of the Amish church community frowning. Thinking that this will only encourage Mary Katherine to leave the Amish community, more and more of the elders and bishop continue to pressure her to make a decision and soon. They are even going so far as to criticize her weaving creations and quilts for sale at Stitches In Time saying she is moving away from the Amish traditions....

In her latest series of Amish books, Stitches in Time, Barbara Cameron is introducing the readers to a new cast of characters in the first book, Her Restless Heart. In this book, all three girls are seeking the love and attention of men in their lives and it seems like only Grandmother Leah has just the right advice to dispense over a cup of hot tea. Ah how we all wish we had a grandmother like her. Unwilling to push and pressure to make the woman face their difficult choices ahead, Leah merely provides a willing ear to listen while they pour out their feelings. Deep down inside she can only pray they will come to make the right decision in the end.

I received Her Restless Heart compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and I can see why so many readers are now her fans of her Amish series. She writes them so well readers can not only relate to the characters but more importantly to the story and issues the characters are dealing with. I, myself, can completely relate to Mary Katherine, having an emotionally abusive father growing up. I can relate to her feeling less than worthy and dealing with a lifetime of self esteem issues never seeing herself as good enough, even in God's eyes. I found healing in hearing not only the advice from Leah but also in Jacob's kindness as her friend. This book does provide needed healing to restless hearts everywhere and I highly recommend this one with a 5 out of 5 stars! Read more ›

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite April 27, 2012

By TLE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am surprised at all of the 5 stars on this book. It was very drawn out, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. It also felt as if it were in the middle of a series because there were storylines and things mentioned that the author didn't actually clarify until later on (or even at all). I did read the Quilts of Lancaster series and it was nice to see some of those characters mentioned here, but that wasn't what bothered me. There were several inconsistencies in this book too....MK's grandmother referring to her son as bruder (brother), MK running outside without her shawl only to have her pull her shawl closer on the next page, and a couple of other weird things like this. Nothing major, but annoying because it was just careless writing. The flow of the book was choppy, too. Also, Daniel is a minor character but the write up makes you think he is more involved...he is not mentioned for a good chunk of the book (only the beginning and end). If you are looking for good Amish fiction, read Lewis or Wiseman.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story!! May 1, 2012

By bettysunflower

Format:Paperback

This is the first book in a new series called "Stitches in Time Series". In it we meet many of the characters that will share their lives with us in this book and the following books. The story takes place in Paradise, Pennsylvania. This pretty much sets the stage for me. I picture rolling hills and beautiful well kept farms.
The main character, Mary Katherine, a 22 year old Amish woman has left her home and parents to live and work with her Grandmother and cousins. "Stitches in Time" is her grandmother's store that sells Amish craft items such as quilts, dolls, pillow cases, etc. Not only do the women work in the store but they provide some of the hand made items that are sold there.
Jacob is a neighbor who attended the same school as Mary Katherine and has been a friend of her' since grade school. Jacob has had feelings for Mary Katherine for a long time but she is not ready to date. She has mixed feeling about whether she wants to join the church or move away from the area or perhaps learn more about the English (non-Amish people).
I enjoyed Katherine's handeling of her issues and her interaction with the other characters particularly Jacob. It was a wonderful love story. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful book with depth ... April 15, 2012

By Susan K. Edwards

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In my opinion this is an excellent book and I am already looking forward to the second book in this series and am disappointed (but realistic) that I have to wait until October.

The book is about Mary Katherine, but also includes her cousins, Anna & Naomi as well, which adds to the interest of this book and will make excellent 2nd (and most likely 3rd) books in this series. It is also about Jacob whom she keeps wanting to think of as "her friend" as she feels that if she actually would let herself fall in love with him he could/would hurt her as her father as done to her mother and her so many times and she can't trust herself or him enough to see if the outcome might be different. Add to that mix, Daniel, a childhood friend that has moved to Florida that is very interested in Mary Katherine, and make Jacob feel insecure. Then there is the Bishop who seems much like her father and is very intimidating and adds to her confusion as to whether or not she wants to be Baptisted into the Amish faith knowing that it is forever and there is no divorce in the Amish faith or at least you would be shunned in either case if you would leave the faith or get a divorce so it is a pretty big step for a young girl that feels conflicted. One, of the most redeeming factors in this book is her knowing that she always has her grossmudder or grandmother that is strong, supportive, and everloving. I think everyone needs someone that they know they can rely on and is always that rock to fall back on ... and Leah, her grandmother is always there for the girls ... loved that added influence in this wonderful book.

I found it a joy to read and as I haven't been just jumping up and down over many of the last books I have read ... it was really, really a enjoyable book to read for a change ...... I am not sure what has happened to the books I have been reading and they have been from some of my very favorite authors but they have been so dark and depressing .. where this certainly was not all happiness and light ...one always feels like there might be that ray of hope at the end that keeps you wanting to continue reading and enjoying the book! Read more ›